New developments in Ahmad Arbury case shape how trial will begin

New developments in the Ahmad Arbury case today will shed light on how Georgia’s state trial will work.

The McMichaels, through their attorneys, are asking for specific procedures that could impact how the jury is selected.

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New documents show the McMichaels’ attorneys are arguing that the amount of attention and coverage this case has received means finding a fair and impartial jury will be difficult.

Now they are asking for specific guidelines. Dale Carson, Action News Jax’s legal expert, said finding a proper jury will be difficult.

“In a case like this, that’s going to be rather difficult, but it can be done. What they do is ask the jurors if they have any preconception of the events or idea of guilt or innocence,” he said.

The attorneys issued a set of guidelines for jury selection, hoping to gauge how well those asked to serve know the case.

In addition to a normal selection process, jurors will be given a questionnaire that has a brief description of the case and a set of open and yes-or-no questions.

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Those questions include what the potential jurors know, if they have an opinion of guilt or innocence, any bias, if they have seen video footage of the death and if they have protested.

“If you’ve participated in a protest in either side of the situation, and you deny that and later there’s film that demonstrates conclusively you were there, then you end up with a jury that is poisoned,” Carson said.

The questionnaire also will ask about the media habits of the jurors, such as what news they consume, how often, and what social media they use.

Attorneys also have asked the media not to be present. Our legal expert said that is normal.

“It’s felt that media presence might have an effect on the panel, the pros panel, even though they can’t calibrate what that effect might be.”

The questionnaire also asks about connections to local law enforcement and personal background. The attorneys believe this will provide a clear picture of any possible bias during the selection.

The selection process will begin on October 18 at 9 a.m.

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